St. Thomas · U.S. Virgin Islands · Reef
Wye Reef
Huge barrel sponges on terraced rock groupings
Area photo: Becky A. Dayhuff, Environmental Educator · Public domain
Wye Reef lies right off Buck Island Cove, the same cove that holds the broken pieces of the Cartanza Sr. wreck, off St. Thomas. It is a terraced reef where octopus live among large groupings of rocks, and huge barrel sponges stand out on the terraces.
Where it is and how deep
18.2770° N, 64.8941° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Several terraces carry the dive down to a maximum of 18 m (60 ft). Large groupings of rocks with huge barrel sponges sit along the way, and octopus are among the animals seen in the gaps between them.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows St. Thomas: Boats leave daily; June brings resting sharks to the Navy Barges, and May to November is the rainy season.
Dive videos
Wye Reef - Saint Thomas USVI - 2023 Jan 12 HD · Kent Riggins on YouTube
Sources
- AAdivers dive sites — AA Divers
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in St. Thomas
Wall
Stingrays and eagle rays cruising a multi-level reef wall
Wreck
Intact engines on a shipping vessel broken into three pieces
A canyon with almost vertical walls on the north side
Reef
A series of swim-throughs cut through the rock
Wreck
A former hospital ship and office complex lying on her side
Pinnacle
Lots of barracudas around rocks in the middle of the cut
Similar dives elsewhere
From 1.5 m to 18 m over coral, boulders and sand
Ballast fused into the shape of a ship, and two anchors at 18 m
Night dives for lobsters, crabs and octopus after sunset
Cozumel's night-dive reef, and reachable from the beach